The Freedom to Read
Two things
happened this week to inspire this blog post:
- · An email arrived from ALIA entitled “New Freedom to Read resources now available”.
- · I
rediscovered a book on my shelves that I and the primary school librarian had
removed from our school bookshelves.
I decided to explore the resources ALIA has made available as unfortunately, book challenges and confrontations appear to be coming more commonplace around Australia.
These include:
- · ALIA Freedom to Read 2023 Wrap,
- · Be Prepared Postcard,
- · Collection Development Policy Template,
- · Collection Development Policies Webinar, presented by educators Julie Barkman, TAFE NSW and Catherine Barnes, UniSA/Endeavor College.
- · OCLC
On-Demand Courses for
responding to a crisis and de-escalating conflict, and
- · Book
resumes from The Virginia Library Association and Unite Against Book Bans (ALIA, 2024).
Upon seeing the link to book resumes I googled “book challenges Virginia”. The following screenshot is the first four entries of an alarmingly long list.
What
I learnt from ALIA Freedom to Read 2023 Wrap shocked me.
In
Australia in 2023 there were 75 individual book challenges about 48 different
titles, and 21 reported incidents including threats, protests, and petitions.
(ALIA, 2023)
“Books
for younger readers were by far the most targeted type of book, with board books,
picture books, children’s fiction and children’s non-fiction accounting for 63%
of total complaints, and young adult fiction and non-fiction making up 13%”
(ALIA, 2023, para7).
The
topics targeted by complaints were dominated by “LGBTQIA+ issues, gender
identity, and explicit or graphic sex education” (ALIA, 2023, p4).
The webinar Collection
Development Policies addressed the importance of having a strong collection
development policy, particularly in the area of selection of resources, when it
comes to book challenges and censorship.
The following statement from ALIA from the webinar sums up this
importance:
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutes (IFLA) and
UNESCO Public Library Manifesto 2022 states, “Collections and services should
not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship,
nor commercial pressures” (IFLA, 2022, p2)
I realised that one of my gaps in
knowledge is what my legal rights and obligations as a potential library staff
member when faced with threatening behaviour are. I am addressing this by watching another
webinar provided by ALIA under their Freedom to Read resources – Know Your Rights
with criminal barrister Nicholas Stewart (Stewart, 2024).
And the book we removed from the
primary school library? It was this CBCA
shortlisted gorgeous book from award winning – and one of my children’s favourite
– author, Matt Ottley (2007). It is so worthy
of a place on a secondary school bookshelf.
It deals with the Stolen Generation, a young man’s battle with
psychological issues, and his discovery of his father’s part in the hidden manslaughter
of a young Indigenous boy. Not themes
for a primary school! It is listed on
Matt Ottley’s own website under YA fiction (Ottley, n.d.).
Photo by Louisa Lowry
But
as Catherine Barnes said in the Collection Development Policies webinar,
“It is important to acknowledge there may be items in your collection that do
need to be reconsidered” (Barnes, 2023, 19:31-19:37).
References
PLEASE NOTE: ALIA Freedom
to Read resources are only accessible to members.
ALIA. (2023). ALIA
Freedom to read 2023 wrap. Australian Library and Information Association
Ltd. https://www.alia.org.au/common/Uploaded%20files/ALIA%20Freedom%20to%20Read%202023%20wrap.pdf.
ALAI. (2024). Resources.
Australian Library and Information Association Ltd. https://www.alia.org.au/Web/Advocacy/Freedom-to-read-resources/resources?WebsiteKey=edf1c45a-3f94-4a6e-8d53-fb3b98341a89.
Barnes, C. (2023). Collection
development policies [Video]. Australian Library and Information
Association Ltd. https://www.alia.org.au/Web/Advocacy/Freedom-to-read-resources/resources?WebsiteKey=edf1c45a-3f94-4a6e-8d53-fb3b98341a89.
Gary. (2023). Collection
development policies [Video]. Australian Library and Information
Association Ltd. https://www.alia.org.au/Web/Advocacy/Freedom-to-read-resources/resources?WebsiteKey=edf1c45a-3f94-4a6e-8d53-fb3b98341a89.
IFLA. (2022). IFLA-UNESCO
Public library manifesto 2022. https://repository.ifla.org/handle/123456789/2006.
Natanson, H. (2023,
September 28). She challenges one book a week. She says she’ll never stop. The
Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/09/28/virginia-frequent-school-book-challenger-spotsylvania/.
Ottley, M. (2007). Requiem
for a beast. Hatchette Australia.
Ottley, M. (n.d.). Requiem
for a beast. https://mattottley.com/product/requiem-for-a-beast/.
Stewart, N. (2024). Know
your rights. Australian Library and Information Association Ltd. https://alia.org.au/Web/Advocacy/Freedom-to-read-resources/know-your-rights.
